Solicitation for Region 2-1 VHR Services   2

Background
The Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) needs the services of a Contractor to record hearings conducted before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). SSA conducts hearings at its Hearing Offices (HOs), Permanent Remote Sites (PRSs) and Claimant Only Video Sites (COVs), and Satellite Offices (SOs) throughout the United States and territories. SSA conducts hearings as an administrative proceeding and the hearings do not take place in a court of law.

Work Details
The Contractor shall provide qualified and trained personnel identified as Verbatim Hearing Recorders (VHRs) to assist the ALJ with administrative aspects of conducting a hearing, including digitally recording the hearing. The VHR participates from an SSA facility in each service option. The VHR shall arrive at the office with sufficient lead time to set up the hearing room, boot up Government-furnished hearing recording equipment, complete a test recording, and initiate contact with the ALJ via Skype.

The VHR shall also prepare for and participate in each hearing, including greeting and ushering claimants, presenting case files to unrepresented claimants, connecting all parties to the hearing, beginning and stopping recording, maintaining hearing room etiquette, annotating the digital recording, collecting evidence offered by the claimant, completing post-hearing paperwork, adhering to health and safety requirements, providing fully trained and credentialed VHRs for all hearings, developing a Quality Control Plan, complying with clauses incorporated in the contract, and reporting PII breaches or incidents.

Period of Performance
The period of performance shall start not later than 120-days following the contract award date. The phase-in period is from September 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023. The base year is from January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. Option Year 1 is from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Option Year 2 is from January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026. There is also an option to extend services from January 1, 2027 – June 30, 2027.

Place of Performance
Hearings under this contract will be conducted by SSA’s OHO at HOs, PRSs, and COV Sites in Region 02-1 which encompasses New York and New Jersey.